Hughes v. Brown

By Judge James W. Haley, Jr.

In this case heard by the court, the issues for resolution are: (1) did a parent negligently fail to deny access to a firearm to his child, and (2) was that child negligent in handling the firearm, and if so, (3) was a child injured by that handling conMbutorily negligent. These issues are apparently of first impression in Virginia.

Joseph Brown had purchased a .25 Raven automatic pistol for home protection. The pistol is loaded by inserting the cartridges into a clip and the clip into the gun through the butt of the handle and thereafter pulling back the action…